Thousands Flock to Streets across US to Protest Death of George Floyd (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Protesters have marched in cities across the US for eight consecutive nights over the death of George Floyd.
The cities of Minneapolis, where Floyd died, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington as well as several other cities re-established curfews for Tuesday night in an attempt to stop the after-hours violence and looting of businesses.
The New York Police Department had arrested about 40 people as of 10 p.m. a number expected to increase, a law enforcement official told CNN.
In Atlanta, a protest was calm but after 9 p.m. police and National Guard began to sweep the streets to clear them. A CNN crew saw tear gas being used.
Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, said they used chemical agents to disperse a crowd after "being assaulted with bottles, rocks, and chemical agents." One person was arrested there and police later tweeted that a protester with a rifle was also taken into custody.
Many of the protests began in the afternoon and lasted hours.
Earlier in Houston, where a public memorial for George Floyd will take place next week, tens of thousands of people marched to City Hall to shout his name and call for justice after his death.
The marchers, who chanted "no justice, no peace" and "Peace on the left, justice on the right," walked or rode horses from Discovery Green park toward their destination, where organizers were scheduled to speak.
George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, addressed the crowd asking for a peaceful protest. He told them to be steadfast in the quest for police reform.
"We're trying to break the cycle right now. We got this," he said.
About 24 hours after people were forcibly moved from a street within view of the White House, even more protesters gathered and stayed even as the 7 p.m. curfew in DC passed.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is launching a civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department, Gov. Tim Walz announced.
The investigation will look into practices of the department for the last 10 years, he said.
A news release says the inquiry will try to determine whether police engaged in "systemic discriminatory practices towards people of color and ensure any such practices are stopped."
Floyd, 46, died last week after Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for more than 8 minutes, according to a prosecutor's statement of probable cause. His final words included "Mama" and "I can't breathe."
Three other officers who responded to the scene, two of whom helped restrain Floyd, were fired by the police chief, who said they were "complicit" in his death. They have not been charged with wrongdoing despite calls from the Floyd family and protesters.
On Monday, two different autopsies found that Floyd's death was a homicide. A public memorial service will be held for Floyd in Minneapolis on Thursday, according to a statement from National Action Network.